Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-30
SEEING TIE GUARD.

WIN iif gun nho
instantly released Brown had dealt with
another in nm effective mar = and re-en-
forcements for tine prisoners were now
coming; but Two other guards, who were
close to the gate. instead OF standing their
ground, ran out and raised great cutlery.
Wilson, Dorsey and others threw some
loose bricks, " hich happened TO be handy,
after them. and prepared to charge out
through the Pnte, when Knight heard the
running Of The reserve guard up the road,
and, 1ihging away his musket gave the
word, "Eoys, we've got to ret out Of
this" then, hurry!r; through the b a
and down To the lower corner OF Tie yard,
Wa IN IL moment TO the top of the fence,
being the first over, but WIS closely fol
lowed by the Others. The fence WIS niAe
or ten feet hi-;. and was no slight obstl-
Gle, but it was soon passed and then tol-
lowed a most desperate and exciting
chase
AL Of this took but moment. The
negro walters had kept perfectly quiet,
looking on the proceedings with the great
est interest, aud only beginning to scream
when the noise outside convinced them
that they might as well contribute their
share Butfum had Just succeeded In
with an impatient There, now" when
tie thrilling cutlery from below warr,d
him that his own departure must be 10
longer delayed Fry and niyself had been
rl,u4ed in securing the iailer, who, though
old, was powerful, and fought vigorously,
but had hot fin sned when we were warned
by the upr0ar that all thought Of quiet
departure was ut mn end, and that there
a ff,r "A ia EnlIils nm N
Turner We all rushed down stairs Us best
we could well knowing that we would
now be last IN the II 1T, which was not
the post of safety. ihc deseftcr pissed
us all like n tiger on the icap--l never saw
such speed In n narrow place-nud getting
t. the back door found two guards await
ing him with bayouetS at the CuurEe He
seized one in each hand. cutting himself
seNc,cly, but Ringing them aside SO lprci-
bly, nat the men were very nearly over
thrown. aud then with the same swiftucss
continued over the ieace and ou to the
woods, soon being In advance OF all The
fug,tives learned that he escaped to
Washington, but months after returning
south secretly to visit his family, was cap
turcd recognized and hanged
Bufrum followed after him and got over
the fence with difficulty hut though Il
very brave man and hard fighter. he
was a poor runner. One Confederate.
vino was quite swift footed kept right
after him, gaining considerably, and
threatening to shoot him if he did not
stop. To this Buflum paid no attention,
for running man has an unsteady hand
aud no certain aim, but he soon stopped
because of exhaustion. just ms the man
overlook him Now Butfum thought it
the right time to try his Yankee witt
SO he threw himself down and said: II
am 80 done ont that eau go no further;
you run on and catch that fellow point
ing To II fugitive running short distance
ahead. But the man saw the design, and
with great oath declared that he had
him now and meant to keep him. Poor
Butfum was allowed n very brief time to
rest, and then was marched back again to
the prison. | have scarcely n doubt that
II he had not waited to unlock the doors
he would have made good his own escape.
Capt, Fry aud myself were close to-
gethcr in going down the stairs. he being
little in advance At n glance he saw
there was no chance in the front YARD
the way we had intended to take-and at
once turned to the back door. which was
left open by the passage of the rebel de
serter. He got over the wall with little
effort, but finding himself chased as Buff
fun had been, he used little strategy
\ good many shots were being fired in all
directions, and he suddenly threw up his
hands and fell fiat Those who were fol-
lowing him passed on after unwounded
game, and when the way was clear he
aruse and resumed his course He was
seen again and had most desperate
chase, but reached the shelter of the
friendly woods.
At no time in all my southern expe-
rience did | find defective vision TO be
such a dreadful misfortune rs Just now.
My eyes were easily dazzled by sudden
increase of light. and as came out of the
ohscurity into the broad light for some
seconds | could scarcely see Mt all In
this interval | was parted from Fry by
running to the front door according to
our original plan. There were two
frightened guards in the gate tossing their
guns about and seeming not to know what
they should do. These were not danger
Gus looking and ran up to them--for row
the power of seeing had come hack; but
Just as l was about darting out of the
gate saw the stream of guards outside.
They called on me TO surrender, but |
WIS beN ititi. ict ttsit anu nuTTleN rack
into the yard. A sentinel tried to shoot
me at point blank range, but, fortu-
nately, his gun failed to go of |
got back into the Jail and now started
out the back way-the course
should have taken at first There were a
number OF guards in the back yard by
this time, but in the confusion / got
through them and to the top of the fence
What was my dismay to see a consider
able number Of self possessed soldiers
outside waiting with lifted guns to shoot
any one whose head might appear above
the fence. jumped very quickly down
on the inside. One hope yet remain ell. I
ran into the building and out at the front
door, thinking that now the front gate
might not be guarded, and that in this
least likely way l might slip through
But it was vain; large number of sol
diers were on the ground and they welc
being carefully posted. l saw that the
first panic and all the advantages Of sur
prise were over. ran hack into the jnl
to try the back door once more, but a
sentinel was now standing at 1t and
several soldiers followed me into the
building. did not care whether they
fired or not, for I now utterly despa:red.
went up the stairway, the guards not
molcsting me, and looked out at the chase
which was continuing over the adjacent
hills.
1t was a wild and exciting spectacle.
Company after company of soldiers came
up. The bells OF the city were ringing.
and shots were being fred rapidly, while
loud commands and srra.p,s xrar. -,